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Experts Address Link Between Cleaning Product Use, Indoor Air Quality and Asthma

Posted on: Thursday, 25 October 2007, 00:00 CDT

Speaking at IFMA's World Workplace, experts from JohnsonDiversey and GREENGUARD Environmental Institute today addressed a growing body of data that suggests there could be a link between cleaning product use and the onset of asthma. In spite of the data that exists today, any possible association of cleaning product use and development of asthma remains controversial and not well understood. The purpose of the presentation was to address the uncertainty and propose best practices for facility managers to create clean and healthy buildings with good indoor air quality (IAQ).

Dr. Daniel Daggett, manager of environmental advocacy for JohnsonDiversey Inc., and Carl Smith, CEO and executive director of GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), helped attendees better understand the effect cleaning products and procedures have on IAQ, and what facility professionals can do to improve and maintain IAQ.

Daggett and Smith pointed to recent studies that link cleaning product use with respiratory problems including one released this month, "The Use of Household Cleaning Sprays and Adult Asthma," conducted by Zock, et al, which appeared in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

"The results of the Zock study help to substantiate a possible link between cleaning products and respiratory health impacts," said Smith. "While chemical content has been a leading concern in regard to toxicity and environmental impacts, evaluating inhalation of chemicals from cleaning products has emerged as an important factor for determining respiratory exposure."

"These studies, however, do not adequately address many key factors. For example, any actual exposure to chemicals during cleaning and the occurrence of accidents such as improper product mixing weren't adequately studied," said Daggett. "It may take years for scientists to verify or refute any possible association. If there is a true link between cleaning and asthma, it will take even longer to fully understand the chemicals and mechanisms responsible. The issue is further complicated by the fact that cleaning is necessary to remove allergens and other contaminants."

In light of the uncertainty, Daggett recommended simple, precautionary steps: consider product composition and emissions, rely on third-party certifying organizations such as Green Seal for evaluating chemical content and GREENGUARD for measuring chemical emissions of cleaning programs, and finally thoroughly evaluate product application techniques and procedures.

GREENGUARD tests products and cleaning procedures for chemical emissions performance and certifies those that meet the institute's standards that define goods with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors.

"GEI's method for measuring emissions from cleaning products using environmental chamber testing has made it possible to analyze individual chemicals and to determine both acute and chronic risk exposure levels," added Smith. "This development has helped companies such as JohnsonDiversey to evaluate their products beyond their composition on a broader scale and verify that the health impacts are negligible."

About JohnsonDiversey

JohnsonDiversey Inc. is a leading global provider of commercial cleaning and hygiene solutions, serving customers in the lodging, food service, retail, health care and food and beverage sectors as well as building service contractors.

JohnsonDiversey is one of four separate companies controlled by the Johnson family of Racine, Wisconsin, USA. With operations in 56 countries and sales into more than 160 countries, JohnsonDiversey provides customers worldwide with the products, solutions and expertise to make their facilities the safest and cleanest in the world. To learn more, visit us at www.johnsondiversey.com.

About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is an industry independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program. As an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable standards for indoor products and testing protocols. GREENGUARD's goal is to improve public health and quality of life by helping manufacturers build better and safer products. The GREENGUARD Certification Program is the only industry independent certification program for low-emitting products. Please visit www.greenguard.org for more information on this and other programs.

Source: Business Wire

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